The present invention relates generally to siding placed on a house, and more specifically to diverting rainwater from the juncture of a sloped roof and vertical wall siding.
Siding is often used to protect the outside of the house. Such siding is generally made of aluminum or vinyl material and is attached along the outside face of a house. At the juncture of a sloped roof where it abuts a portion of a vertical wall, there is ordinarily a flashing used to cover the juncture to prevent water from leaking down through the juncture where the vertical wall meets the sloped roof.
The flashing generally comprises a wall flange which is mostly hidden from view beneath the siding and a roof flange which is mostly hidden from view by the roof covering. The two flanges, generally made of a single strip of waterproof material and bent along its length at approximately a right angle, are purposely made leak proof to prevent rainwater from getting into the line of abutment between the roof and wall. Often referred to as a step gable or wall flashing, such flashing generally comprises a series of flashing members arranged in stepped manner, each lower member inserted an effective distance beneath the next higher member in the same manner that roofing shingles or tiles are positioned. This provides cascading of the water as it flows from one overlapping portion, in turn, to the next lower, overlapped portion.
The overlapping flashing arrangement terminates at the roof edge. Water can flow behind the vertical wall abutting this termination point unless the water is diverted away. At the point where the vertical wall and the edge of the sloped roof coincide, the flashing abuts the siding on the vertical wall. Additional steps are required at this point to prevent water from running off the flashing, seeping behind the siding and causing damage to the underlying structure.
One method of preventing water from seeping behind the siding is to apply sealing material for example, roof cement or caulking to the flashing and to the siding. The problem with such a method is that due to shrinkage of the sealing material over time, thermal expansion and contraction of the dissimilar materials, and weathering, the seal fails and water seeps behind the siding.
Siding is often capped with a J channel where the vertical wall meets the sloping roof in order to give a more finished appearance. Typically, the J channel is extended past the edge of the roof in an attempt to channel water into a rain gutter. As rain travels down the vertical face of the siding there is a tendency for the rain to flow along the J channel and thereby seep behind the siding as the water exits the J channel into the rain gutter. Continued rain and moisture may deteriorate the wood of the frame and surrounding area. Water may also be able to flow into insulating material located behind the siding and cause the insulating material to become filled with water. Any water retained in the insulating material may cause additional moisture damage to the house itself.
Various diverter designs have been developed in an attempt to avoid this problem and to direct water away from the vertical wall which extends beyond the eve of the sloping roof. In one form, shown in FIG. 1, the diverter comprises a triangular portion 100 as an integral part of the flashing, with the upper corner of the triangular portion being essentially contiguous with the intersection of the vertical wall flange 110 and the sloping roof flange 120. The diverter lies in a plane which is at an obtuse angle with both the plane of the vertical wall flange and the sloping roof flange, when viewed from its top side, and the two lower corners extend at the lower edges of the vertical wall flange 110 and the sloping roof flange 120. This triangular portion 100 serves to deflect rainwater away from the vertical wall siding 130.
Shown in FIG. 2 is another attempt at diverting rainwater, consisting of two flanges at right angles to each other, with an integral triangular portion 200, the upper comer of the triangular portion is contiguous with a bilateral line of symmetry formed by the two flanges. The diverter part lies in a plane which is at an obtuse angle with both the planes of the symmetrically positioned flanges, and the two lower corners extend symmetrically to the lower edges of the symmetrical flanges. The flange members are positioned behind the diverter, out of sight when installed on the roof 230. This triangular portion also serves to deflect rainwater away from the vertical wall siding 220.
Still another previous attempt at flashing designed for diverting water, shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, has a vertical planar section 310 and a transverse planar section 320, and is generally L-shaped. A generally L -shaped step, or deflector 300, is formed on the lower end of the flashing. The vertical planar section 310 is positioned under the siding material 330 and flush with the vertical wall at the juncture between the vertical wall and the edge of the sloped roof. The transverse planar section 320 is positioned under the roofing material 340 and flush with the sloped roof. The deflector wraps around the siding, which abuts the flashing. The flashing cooperates with the siding material and diverts water flowing down the juncture of the vertical wall and roof away from the siding.
The problem with these prior art designs is their propensity to create ice dams as the rainwater strikes the triangular or deflecting portion backing up under the roofing material and siding, causing additional damage. Furthermore, as leaves and other debris are carried by the water against the deflecting portion, the debris will eventually build up, creating a dam, thereby allowing water to back up under the roofing material and siding.
What is needed is a diverter that will prevent rainwater from seeping behind siding or under roofing material, and at the same time not allow the buildup of debris or the formation of ice dams.
The present invention is directed to a diverter that prevents rainwater from seeping behind siding or under roofing material, yet at the same time does not allow the buildup of debris creating a back up of water or allow the formation of ice dams to create a back up of water.
In one embodiment, the present invention is installed to the vertical wall of a building at a juncture between the vertical wall and an edge of a sloped roof to prevent water flowing along a roof-wall juncture from seeping behind siding located on the vertical wall where shingles located on the edge of the sloped roof abut the vertical wall. The invention comprises a back wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall in the form of an open sided box. The open side extends outwardly from the vertical wall and serves as an exit, with the top wall including at least one access opening. This access opening is positioned such that water flowing along a roof wall juncture enters the access opening and leaves the diverter through the exit to be collected by a rain gutter and diverted away from the building.
In a different embodiment there is at least one drip edge. One advantage of a drip edge is that with the use of a drip edge, architectural designs calling for the absence of a rain gutter may still be protected. Water flowing along the roof wall juncture will flow into the diverter and then overflow the diverter over the drip edge to continue down the vertical wall without seeping behind the siding.
Another advantage of the present invention is that water entering into the access opening is prevented from seeping behind the siding or roof shingles. The back wall physically separates the water from siding and shingles, allowing the water to flow into a gutter and thereby be diverted.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that by diverting the water into a gutter positioned within the device, if ice should form, the ice will be contained within the device, thus preventing water and ice from backing up behind the siding or under the shingles.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that water would flow through any buildup of leaves or debris and continue to enter into the access opening to be diverted away from siding or shingles. Any buildup of leaves or debris would not serve to back up flowing water under siding or shingles.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.